Best Private Browser for Windows
Best Private Windows Browsers Every action you take online is monitored and mined by digital marketers so they can profit from your data. To link your data to you, they track your browsing habits, cookie data, and personally identifiable information like your IP address, device, browser-based identifiers, etc.
This raises the question of how to stop such online tracking. You will be happy to know that there are web browsers out there that put your security and privacy first while allowing you to access the internet.
In this post, I'll introduce you to a number of privacy-focused web browsers, compare their privacy and security features, and discuss my personal experiences with them.
1. Brave Browser
Built on top of Chromium, the open source technology that powers many web browsers, Brave is an excellent browser with a focus on privacy. Brave is private by default and blocks ads, malware, fingerprinting, and online trackers.
Additionally, it offers Brave Search, a search engine that prioritizes privacy over other options like Google Search and Microsoft Bing.
You can use your bitcoins to pay for online content using the Brave browser's built-in cryptocurrency wallet, eliminating the need to use third-party services or wallets like Coinbase or PayPal.
Brave Browser also enables you to use Tor or VPN connections, a feature not common in most browsers, so you can browse the web anonymously and keep your IP address hidden from websites and other third parties.
Brave Browser is supported by Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, and iOS.
2. Tor Browser
Privacy-focused web browsers include the Tor Browser. It uses the Tor network to route web traffic through a free, voluntary global overlay network that helps protect your identity and privacy online. Additionally, it blocks scripts, ads, and other trackers that try to follow you around the internet.
With the Tor Browser, you can prevent websites from detecting your location and anyone monitoring your internet connection from knowing which websites you visit. DuckDuckGo, its default search engine, doesn’t track you or restrict results based on your personal data.
Additionally, Tor Browser has additional features that may help you further protect your privacy: Cookies set by pages are viewed during a page visit by Cookie Inspector, NoScript blocks JavaScript from all unauthorized sources including non-whitelisted websites and HTTPS Everywhere requires websites to use encrypted connections.
Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and Tor Browser are all compatible.
3. Mozilla Firefox
After Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox is a popular web browser. The explanation is that it is fast, adaptable, and offers a wide range of privacy options that are unmatched by most browsers.
It features built-in malware protection, which prevents malicious programs or scripts from accessing your computer, as well as built-in ad filtering, which stops the majority of pop-ups before they appear on your screen.
Mozilla Firefox is an open source project that aims to create a powerful and open Internet system as well as a browser. Developed with a focus on non-profit and non-corporate goals, it is the only browser of interest at this time.
The Do Not Track feature was created by Mozilla Firefox and allows you to tell websites that you do not want to be tracked online. Additionally, Firefox was the first browser to include a private browsing mode that allows you to hide your browsing history from websites and other users of your device.
Firefox is supported by Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and iOS.
4. DuckDuckGo Browser
DuckDuckGo is a search engine and web browser that prioritizes privacy. Your personal information is none of our business, according to their website. With DuckDuckGo, you can now take back your online privacy. It focuses heavily on keeping your information private and avoiding the filter bubble of personalized search results.
With DuckDuckGo, you can browse the web without leaving any digital traces on your computer or in your browser history. Each user has an anonymous profile, which prevents websites from tracking you based on past queries. Additionally, it includes extensions to block trackers from all tracking sites as well as built-in ad blockers.
Unfortunately, DuckDuckGo’s browser is only accessible on mobile devices. You can install its add-on, “DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials,” on your web browser until its desktop browser is released. In addition to blocking third-party trackers, it makes websites use encrypted connections.
DuckDuckGo is compatible with web browsers, Android, and iOS (as an extension).
5. LibreWolf
The private web browser built on the Mozilla Firefox platform is called LibreWolf. It was created to be faster, safer and more efficient than other browsers.
Along with other improvements to privacy and security features, it provides greater defense against fingerprinting and other cross-site tracking techniques.
All telemetry features, such as data collection, experimentation, and other annoyances, as well as anti-freedom features like DRM, are eliminated by LibreWolf Browser. Additionally, it comes with uBlock Origin, which improves and speeds up your browsing by blocking ads, trackers, malicious scripts, and websites.
Also compatible with Windows, Linux and macOS is LibreWolf.
6. Microsoft Edge
As a replacement for the now-discontinued Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge is the default web browser on Windows. Contrary to popular belief, the new Chromium-based Edge browser can be customized for privacy, even if the old Microsoft Edge browser is far from being a private browser.
A wide range of privacy options in Microsoft Edge let you block cookies, turn off location services, and disable other technologies that could reveal your personal information. Your browsing is secured by Tracking Protection, which has three levels: Basic, Balanced, and Strict, and supports Secure DNS.
Supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows Edge.
7. Opera web browser
You get access to all the tools you need to navigate the internet with ease with Opera, which is fast, efficient and secure. It has built-in ad-blocking technology that lets you block annoying ads, making it ideal for getting things done without interruption.
Additionally, Opera features a built-in, no-logs VPN service that lets you browse the web anonymously. This means that anyone trying to locate you or find out who you are won’t be able to see your IP address. Like most browsers on this list, it also blocks ads and trackers by default.
Supports Android, Chromebooks, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows Opera.
8. Waterfox
On top of Mozilla Firefox, which was also built for speed and privacy, Waterfox Browser was created. It has every essential privacy feature you would want in a modern internet browser, such as ad and tracker blocking, phishing defense, pop-up blocking, and no remote tracking data collection.
It has enhanced tracking protection similar to Firefox, which protects against online trackers, scripts, malware, and websites that use your computing power for illegal activities like cyber attacks and cryptocurrency mining.
It has an offline translation engine to translate web pages without transferring data to an online provider, unlike other browsers on the list.
On Linux, macOS, and Windows, Waterfox also works.
9. SRWare Iron
The free and open source web browser with privacy and security features is called SRWare Iron. It is built on the same engine as Google Chrome because it is based on Chromium, but it has more privacy and security features.
It comes with a built-in ad blocker and an anti-phishing tool that blocks websites that can be used for phishing scams, giving you extra security.
Since it disables or eliminates many of the tracking features in Google Chrome, SRWare Iron stands out. Features like alternate error pages, error reports, installation ID, RLZ tracking, URL tracking, etc. are not included. As a result, SRWare Iron is considered one of the best Google Chrome alternatives.
Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows may all use SRWare Iron.
10. Komodo Dragon / Ice Dragon
Web browsers with a focus on privacy, Comodo Dragon and IceDragon, are built on top of Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, respectively.
Created by Comodo, the leader in online security and trust, these are private browsers that compete with Chrome and Firefox in terms of features and privacy protection.
Ad blocking, defense against phishing sites and malicious downloads, URL filtering, tracking protection, automatic updates to their security databases (including Comodo Secure DNS service), and other security features are just a few of the great security features offered by Dragon and IceDragon browsers.
IceDragon only works on Windows.
conclusion
Here are the private web browsers you can choose from for a more private and secure browsing experience. It ultimately depends on your needs and preferences because each browser on this list has something unique to offer.
Additionally, most people — myself included — use different browsers for different tasks. For example, I usually use Brave, but sometimes, I’ll switch to the Tor Browser when dealing with sensitive information. Which one did you choose?